1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a method of setting device configurations without a manager's intervention when a device, e.g., a multifunctional device, is initially installed, in which the device actively requests information from a manager server, receives configuration information from the server such as information on a transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP), a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) server, or a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) server, and automatically sets its configurations, and the device using the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
As demands for office automation (OA) devices, such as digital multifunctional devices, printers, scanners, copiers, and facsimile machines, have increased, requirements for the OA devices have also increased. A variety of OA devices, even tens to hundreds of OA devices, are used in an office. Accordingly, it has become important to maintain and manage the plurality of OA devices connected via a network, and the role of a device manager has expanded. In order to solve this problem, a manager server that manages different types of devices in the same library is being used.
FIG. 1 illustrates a plurality of multifunctional devices and a server connected to a network. The role of a manager expected when a new multifunctional device is added to existing multifunctional devices will now be explained. First, the manager sets transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) information of the new multifunctional device. In detail, the manager requests a bootstrap protocol/dynamic host configuration protocol (BOOTP/DHCP) server manager to assign an internet protocol (IP) to the new multifunctional device and receives the assigned IP when a BOOTP/DHCP is used, whereas the manager receives an IP from an IP resource manger when a static IP is used, and then the manager inputs the received IP into the new multifunctional device. Next, the manager sets basic configuration information related to copy, scan, and fax jobs. Next, the manager sets a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) server configuration in order to use an LDAP address book, sets a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) server configuration in order to use Scan-to-Email, sets a server message block/file transfer protocol (SMB/FTP) server configuration in order to use Scan-to-SMB/FTP, and sets a user authentication configuration in order to restrict access of a multifunctional device user.
The creation of identical copies of configuration information set for one device is referred to as cloning. In general, cloning is performed as follows. First, configuration information of a source device is copied and exported to a manger server. The manager server selects target devices. The selected target devices import the configuration information, and the configuration information is set for the target devices.
In cloning using a conventional server, TCP/IP information must be basically set for a network multifunctional device. Also, since the cloning using the conventional server determines whether there is a new multifunctional device by periodically monitoring a network, a manager who manages a plurality of devices must continuously monitor whether target devices are connected to the network. Accordingly, whenever a new multifunctional device is added to the network, the manager must connect the new multifunctional device to the network, set TCP/IP configuration values, and perform cloning using a manager server. Hence, the manager should set configurations for the new multifunctional device as well as managing the existing multifunctional devices.
There are several methods, such as universal plug and play (UPnP) and service location protocol (SLP), which are used to announce services on a network after IP information is set. However, since the goals of the methods are to announce the services on the network, although central management software finds the location of the new multifunctional device using the methods, the central management software cannot judge whether the new multifunctional device desires cloning.
Accordingly, even though both the protocols UPnP and SLP and the cloning are used, a so-called plug-and-clone function without a manager's intervention cannot be achieved.